First UK-Japan collaboration on gender and peacebuilding at TICAD VI

The UK Government hosted a ‘Peacebuilding through Promoting Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Challenges and Opportunities in Africa’ event with Japan in Nairobi on 26 Aug 2016.

(C)JICA

The UK and Japanese Governments co-hosted an event in Nairobi, Kenya in the sidelines of the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), along with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This is the first time the UK and Japan have held such an event.

It discussed challenges and opportunities of African women in peacebuilding processes. This is an important issue as governments and international societies translate the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 statement into actions in Africa.

Ms Kobi Bentley, Deputy Head of Office, DFID Somalia delivered the keynote address, along Ms. Angelique Gabriel Tening Sarr, ICRC. Dr Jean Bosco Butera, Special Adviser and Head of Office, Office of the Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, African Union Commission, joined the panel discussion at the invitation of the UK.

In the second UK-Japan Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting earlier this January, Ministers called for UK-Japan cooperation on Women, Peace and Security and Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative. They identified Africa as a theatre for such work. This side event is a part of a growing series of UK-Japan joint projects.